Personal Statement Questions From Freshman

[premeddude27]

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Hello everyone!

I have some free time this summer and I would like to start writing my personal statement in my free time. I'm not able to log into AMCAS because I don't have an account there. Can someone please give the INSTRUCTIONS that AMCAS gives to you about your personal statement? Like, what are the instructions given to you? What are you supposed to write about? What are the descriptions/instructions given?

Thank you very much to anyone who helps!

 

[Centinel]

Hello everyone!

I have some free time this summer and I would like to start writing my personal statement in my free time. I'm not able to log into AMCAS because I don't have an account there. Can someone please give the INSTRUCTIONS that AMCAS gives to you about your personal statement? Like, what are the instructions given to you? What are you supposed to write about? What are the descriptions/instructions given?

Thank you very much to anyone who helps!

There aren't. Seriously.

Also, if you want to see exactly what the AMCAS says (although I am not pulling your leg with my response) you can fill out an AMCAS and just not submit it.

 

[sweetrts]

I commend you for your refreshing enthusiasm, however I personally feel that the personal statement isn't something you can write as a freshman. Use your summer to gain some clinical or research experience, which you may later find meaningful enough to incorporate into a future personal statement. From my experience, many of the truly inspiring moments and lessons learned that I talked about didn't even happen until later in my college career, and quite frankly from what I've been told, adcoms want a picture of who you are and not who you were as a freshman. So my advice is to wait a bit, use your summer to volunteer or something and you'll haven plenty of time to write a good PS in the future.

 

[premeddude27]

Unfortunately the previous responses weren't helpful 🙁

Can anyone give me the instructions AMCAS gives to YOU when writing the PS?

 

[MoosePilot]

Unfortunately the previous responses weren't helpful 🙁

Can anyone give me the instructions AMCAS gives to YOU when writing the PS?

Read the post above you.

Your PS will largely be about stuff that you're not doing because you're wanting to write the PS. See the problem? Ditch this idea and get some experience. Write the PS in two to three years.

 

[anystream]

Unfortunately the previous responses weren't helpful 🙁

Can anyone give me the instructions AMCAS gives to YOU when writing the PS?

Just in case you're REALLY wondering:

"Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school. The available space for your response is 5300 characters, or approximately one full page. You will receive an error message if you exceed the available space. For additional assistance, click "help" on the tool bar at the top of the screen."

However, I agree 100% with the previous posters.

 

[NRankin]

I'm a freshman this year, too, and I can almost guarantee you that you should wait to write your PS. You're going to gain so much from your college experience, from inspiring professors to research oppportunities to actual clinical experience. You've got plenty of time to write your personal statement. Don't rush it. It will come out when it's ready. Good luck.

 

[Medikit]

I was just kind of laughing to myself because I have no idea what I'd have written as a freshman. It was only 6 years ago but it seems like another world.

 

[DrBowtie]

If you read through the applicant worksheet or Manual. it gives screen shots. Both are available without having to login.

Just to put in my $.02. Writing your PS is a bad idea considering how you have minimal POST SECONDARY EXPERIENCES to write about.

 

[Centinel]

Just in case you're REALLY wondering:

"Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school. The available space for your response is 5300 characters, or approximately one full page. You will receive an error message if you exceed the available space. For additional assistance, click "help" on the tool bar at the top of the screen."

However, I agree 100% with the previous posters.

Ahh, the fresh scent of vindication! 😎

 

[Flopotomist]

Just in case another vote was needed here - the above posters are correct - writing a PS as a Freshman is a recipe for disaster.

The majority of freshmen haven't done anything uniquely interesting that demonstrates their academic skills, nor their motivation for wanting to go into medicine, so what could you possibly write about?

In addition to this, I would say as a Frosh, you should keep your mind open about your future career choices, explore as many VARIED things as possible while an undergrad so that when you do finally choose one thing, you don't look back with regret in 10 years.

Good Luck!

 

[PostalWookie]

Hey, how about instead of writing your PS, go have a beer, or get laid, or something fun like that.

Not to be mean, but if you think you have enough life and linical experience to write a personal statement right now, you clearly aren't planning on doing anything worthwhile.

The personal statement isn't just about why you want to be a doctor. You have to back up what you say with evidence, with your experiences. And frankly, med schools don't want to hear about what you did in high school all too much.

 

[premeddude27]

Just in case you're REALLY wondering:

"Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school. The available space for your response is 5300 characters, or approximately one full page. You will receive an error message if you exceed the available space. For additional assistance, click "help" on the tool bar at the top of the screen."

However, I agree 100% with the previous posters.

Thank you. I am going to get started on it tomorrow.
I can always revise/edit later if need be

 

[MoosePilot]

Thank you. I am going to get started on it tomorrow.
I can always revise/edit later if need be

If you don't need to totally rewrite it when you apply in the summer after your junior year, then don't bother submitting it, because you won't have done enough activities to merit admission to any medical school.

 

[pagemmapants]

If you don't need to totally rewrite it when you apply in the summer after your junior year, then don't bother submitting it, because you won't have done enough activities to merit admission to any medical school.

Jeeez, c'mon people and show the young man some encouragement! At least he's considering what he needs to do early on rather than waking up one bright March morning in his junior year and thinking "Oh balls, what's that one test I need to take?"

I wrote mine the summer after my sophomore year. I think I changed a paragraph before I submitted it. Of course, my record has yet to prove anything as far as admissions go, so let judgement be reserved for now.

Good luck to you.

 

[byeh2004]

you should have a bit of experience before you start writing your PS remember you got 3-4 years ahead of you, you have plenty of time... but i mean it definitely never hurts and it can be advantageous when come PS writing time to start thinking why you want to go into the medical profession... for me personally i keep a journal and about a couple times a week i write a sentence on why i want to be a doctor... its amazing to see your prospective on medicine change as the months go past when you go thru your premed years... but i mean other than that just relax and suck in some medical experience before you do your PS

 

[MoosePilot]

Jeeez, c'mon people and show the young man some encouragement! At least he's considering what he needs to do early on rather than waking up one bright March morning in his junior year and thinking "Oh balls, what's that one test I need to take?"

I wrote mine the summer after my sophomore year. I think I changed a paragraph before I submitted it. Of course, my record has yet to prove anything as far as admissions go, so let judgement be reserved for now.

Good luck to you.

I am using my precious time to give him advice. I won't give him encouragement to do something dumb. I'll leave that to others.

 

[pdp2001]

Hello everyone!

I have some free time this summer and I would like to start writing my personal statement in my free time. I'm not able to log into AMCAS because I don't have an account there. Can someone please give the INSTRUCTIONS that AMCAS gives to you about your personal statement? Like, what are the instructions given to you? What are you supposed to write about? What are the descriptions/instructions given?

Thank you very much to anyone who helps!

since you've already got the instructions, i'll join in the advice parade. don't worry about the personal statement. if you write it now and don't change it by junior year, it's worthless. if you don't believe me then you don't know what a personal statement should sound like yet. there's really no point in stressing about it right now. if you've got free time, work in a clinic, become an emt, etc - do something that will help you write your personal statment in a year when you really have something to say.

until those things happen, relax, have a beer, and get cozy with some chick b/c i guarantee once you start applying you're not going to have time for that.

 

[SitraAchra]

My Freshman Personal Statement:

Wow campus is so big! Maybe if I spend a weekend here instead of back home with my parents, I'll look around a bit and get to know the place. Dorms suck LOL! My roommate stays up late and plays loud music and I have to wear sandals to take a shower in the community bathroom ewwww. At least my classes are close so I can wake up 5 minutes before, show up, then come back and continue to sleep until noon. I might change my major again this week, I'm kinda bored with this one. Hopefully I can still wing it during exams like I did back in highschool where I was the ****. Man, my chemistry TA is so mean! She barely speaks english OMG how can I learn anything, maybe I'll Q-drop the class because I'm not being spoon-fed my information. I really need to join that pre-med club, they say if I just pay $50 I get this cool t-shirt and I can list them on my resume! I don't even have to go to meetings!!! OK I have to get back to watching tv, playing video games, then wondering why the hell I just failed a test.

-clueless me as a freshman

 

[hnbui]

Thank you. I am going to get started on it tomorrow.
I can always revise/edit later if need be

wow i thought i was anal about this whole application process. Chill out dude. There's (most likely) nothing you will learn your freshmen year that will drastically give you motivation for writing a ps.

Go through classes first and then when your in the 2nd year atleast start looking at the application more closely.